Minor MLB Transactions: 2/5/17

The Tigers have signed left-handed reliever Mike Zagurski to a minor league contract, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Th 34-year-old will now return to the States after spending the past two seasons in Japan, where he pitched to a 4.15 ERA with 9.4 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 in combined 47 2/3 innings with Hiroshima and Yokohama. Previously, Zagurski logged 75 1/3 major league innings of 7.05 ERA ball with four teams from 2007-13. He has fared far better at the Triple-A level, having recorded a 2.86 ERA and 12.0 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 in 238 2/3 frames.

I still don’t understand Avila and his minor league signings. Few, if any, are more than minor league filler. Part of the reason the Tigers did not make the playoffs last year is their weak bench. Injuries are something every team has to deal with, and the Tigers look unprepared. The initial 25 man has the strength to contend for a WS, Should anyone go down offensively, there is absolutely no depth. The bench is currently looking to be Avila (can’t bat against lefties, cant put the ball in play, and needs a pinch runner should he walk), Machado (no power, questionable OBA), Mahtook (strikes out a ton) and Romine (can play adequately anywhere, but can’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag). None of these are likely to play acceptably should someone get injured, The group Avila is assembling for AAA won’t either. Buck Farmer looks better than any of the fodder he has signed to the AAA pitching staff. I just don’t see Zagurski lasting more than a few days if he’s ever called up. If you put up miserable numbers overseas, I just don’t see it improving in the states.